This week’s theme: Ballads. Some of the musicians: Dexter Gordon, Bobby Hutcherson, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Sarah Vaughan, Clifford Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Thelonious Monk

Here are some records closing in the next day, starting with Bobby Hutcherson, Dialogue, Blue Note 4198. This looks to be an original New York USA label. The record is probably in VG+ condition and the cover is graded a strong VG. The seller says he is a strict grader and is only interested in records in VG+ or better condition. I would suggest, based on the pictures, that this one may have slipped through the cracks because strong VG is not the cover that I’m seeing. Bidding is close to $400.

From the same seller: Hank Mobley, Roll Call, Blue Note 4058. This one has the West 63^rd Street labels, but no ear and no deep grooves that I can tell from the pictures. Plus it is in shrink wrap. What would that make it? Liberty pressing using older labels? The record and cover are listed in M- condition. Bidding is in the $550 range.

One more from this seller: Hank Mobley Quintet, Blue Note 1550. This looks to be an original deep groove west 63^rdStreet pressing. The record is either in VG or VG+ condition and the cover is listed as strong VG+, although I don’t understand where strong comes in based on the pics. Bidding is close to $900.

Also closing today: Richie Kamuca Quartet, Mode 102. This looks to be an original pressing The record is listed as VG+ and the cover as G+. Start price is $155 and so far there are no bidders.

Introducing Lee Morgan, Savoy 12091. This is an original red label pressing. The cover has punch holes on the side. The record is listed in VG+ condition and the cover is probably VG, based on the pictures. The auction closes in about three days and so far there are no bids at a start price of about $450.

Clark Terry, In Orbit with Thelonious Monk, Riverside 271. This seems to be an original deep groove pressing listed in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. The bidding is in the $130 range with more than two days left on the auction. The seller, vinyl-house-uk, has a lot of other items on eBay this week, including the Rollins record on Period as well as Lee Morgan, Lee Way, Blue Note 4034. This is a weird one, with the West 63^rd Street label on one side, the New York USA label on the other, and deep grooves. The seller describes it as an original first pressing, which doesn’t seem to be the case. But what is it? In any case, the record and cover are both listed in VG+ condition and the bidding is in the $140 range with nearly three days left.

One more for the road: Sonny Rollins, Newk’s Time, Blue Note 4001. This looks to be an original pressing of the vinyl with the West 63^rd Street address and the deep grooves, but it has the second, dark blue cover. The record looks to be M- and the cover VG++.  The start price is $1,000 and so far there are no bidders with more than four days left on the auction.

Here’s another Blue Note: Bobby Hutcherson, Happenings, Blue Note 84231. This is a Liberty stereo pressing. I’m assuming it is an original, but I can’t vouch for it based on my own knowledge. What causes me to question it is the presence of the Liberty logo on the back cover. From my recollection, many of the first Blue Notes after the Liberty acquisition did not have that logo, but I can’t trust my recollections as much as I used to because I seem to be in that place where I have forgotten more than I remember. But I am confident someone out there will have the answer and share it with me and the rest of the Jazz Collector world. This copy is listed in EX condition for the record and cover and the price is in the $160 range with more than two days left on the auction.

Mal Waldron, Mal-1, Prestige 7090. This is an original yellow label pressing with the New York address. The record is listed in M- condition, although the description sounds a little more like VG++. I tend to reserve M- for a record that has no background surface noise, as opposed to minimal, but that may just be a personal pique. The cover is listed in VG+ condition. This is another one that I reorganized the other day in my collection, again re-affirming that I do not have an original pressing but rather a Japanese reissue. Ah well. This one closes in three days and has a start price of $300 with no bidders yet.

Finally, here is a record that probably adorns the shelves of almost everyone reading this: Miles Davis, Kind of Blue, Columbia 1355. This looks to be an original mono pressing with the six-eye red logo and the juxtaposition of Flamenco Sketches and All Blues on the back cover. The record and cover are also listed in EX condition and the bidding is in the $300 range with four days left on the auction.

Lee Morgan, The Rumproller, Blue Note 4199. This was an original New York USA pressing, also listed in M- condition for the record and the cover. The final price was $610, which was a shocker to me largely because when I first started collecting back in the early 1970s this was a common record in the closeout bins at Sam Goody’s, believe it or not. I imagined after the success of the Sidewinder, Blue Note thought they may be able to duplicate their good fortune, and perhaps the market for the Rumproller was softer than they expected. Not anymore, based on this auction. Back to my original point, this is a new high point for this record as well, way beyond the previous top price, based on Popsike.

Bobby Hutcherson, Components, Blue Note 4213. This was also an original New York mono pressing listed in M- condition for the record and the cover. The final price was $678. Not so sound like a broken record but, once again, a new high.

And there was the copy of Tina Brooks, True Blue, Blue Note 4041. As some of you mentioned on a previous Jazz Collector post, there were some issues with the cover that put it in probably more of a VG+ rating. The final price was $6,201. As someone said, before you know it we will be starting a $10,000 bin.

And there was this copy of The Magnificent Thad Jones, Blue Note 1527. Thanks to our friend Clifford for passing this along. This was listed in Ex condition for both the record and the cover and sold for $458. Nothing out of line about that, you might say, except it was a United Artists pressing from the 1970s.

Stanley Turrentine, Look Out!, Blue Note 4039. This was an original West 63^rd Street pressing that also looked to be in M- condition for the record and the cover. The final price was $1,124.07. This may have been the highest price ever for this record as well, although it is hard to tell, because it looks like the same record, literally, was sold for $40 more a few months ago by the same seller. I’m thinking perhaps it was a return and a resale?

There were several comments on this record: Paul Gonsalves, Boom-Jackie-Boom-Chick, Vocalion LAE 587. This looked to be an original deep-groove U.K. pressing probably in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. When we spotted this record, there were no bidders at a start price of $1,000. It wound up with 12 bids and a final price of $1,824.99. Then there was the second pressing copy of Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. This one had the West 63^rd Street labels, no New York 23. It looked to be in M- condition for the record and cover, and the final price was $621.22.

I really did spend a lot of time off eBay, pursuing that collection to which I’ve obliquely referred, as has my friend Dee, the owner of said collection, who has also cryptically mentioned the name “Ornette,” which provides something of a clue as to its possible derivation. Eventually I will be ready to discuss it.

In the meantime, I would like to go back a few weeks to see what happened to some other jazz records we were watching on eBay, starting with Art Taylor, AT’s Delight, Blue Note 4047. This looked to be an original West 63^rd Street pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The start price was $449 and I suspected that it might make it into the $1,000 bin. Instead, there were no bids at all. I feel like I may be missing something. The seller lists a lot of records and has 100% feedback. Any guesses? There were a couple of others from the same seller that didn’t get bids, such as Sonny Rollins with the Modern Jazz Quartet, Prestige 7029. This was an original New York pressing with the original orange framed cover. The record was listed as M- and the cover was VG+. The start price was $349.  A few records I was watching from that auction did sell, with one or two bidders, including Sheila Jordan, Portrait of Sheila, Blue Note 9002. This was an original New York USA pressing listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. There was one bid and the record sold for $249.

At the same time, another seller seemed to do quite well with some later Blue Note records that I didn’t think had the same cachet as collectibles, although, to be fair, I’ve been wrong about these things many times before. For instance, there was Lee Morgan, The Gigolo, Blue Note 4212. This was an original mono pressing, which is a rare version because it was only issued as a promo copy. It had the Liberty labels and was probably in VG or VG+ condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. There was an issue with a long visible mark across side one. Still, the record sold for $433, which was the highest price we’ve seen for this record on Popsike.

There was also Bobby Hutcherson, Happenings, Blue Note 4231. This was also a promo mono pressing with the New York USA address on both labels. The record and cover were listed in M- condition. The final price was $308, which was not the highest price we’ve seen for the record – that would be $630 – but it did crack the top 10.

May as well stick with Blue Notes this morning. Here’s one that will be found in the $1,000 bin: Dizzy Reece, Blues in Trinity, Blue Note 4006. This is an original pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The current price is $1,195. Also, Sonny Red, Out of the Blue, Blue Note 4032. This is an original West 63rd Street pressing in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. It is in the $200 range. I list the Reece and Red records together because

they are both records I once owned and then either sold or traded. In both instances I got back much less in return than I should have, so when I look at my collection and don’t see these records I actually visualize gaps. Like I’m flipping through the records and I see it, but don’t. A spirit of vinyls past. One day I will get these records back, along with Shades of Redd. But probably not by paying top dollar on eBay.

Bobby Hutcherson, Components, Blue Note 4213. This looks to be an original mono pressing with the NY USA label. It looks to be in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. The price is in the $150 range with more than a day left before the auction closes.

Andrew Hill, Compulsion, Blue Note 4217. This also looks to be an original mono pressing in similar condition as the Hutcherson LP, M- for the vinyl and VG++ for the cover. The bidding on this one is also in the $150 range.

Sam Rivers, A New Conception, Blue Note 4249. This is an original Liberty pressing. It is in VG++ condition. The price is more than $100.

Here are a few more that may surprise you:

Don Cherry, Complete Communion, Blue Note 4226. This is a mono New York USA pressing, one of the last before the shift to Liberty, and is in VG++ condition for the record and the cover. The price is more than $80.

 Larry Young, Of Love and Peace, Blue Note 4242. This one has the New York labels and the Liberty cover. It also seems to be in VG++ condition for the record and the cover. The price is $90.

Duke Pearson, Wahoo, Blue Note 4191. This is an original mono New York USA pressing that is listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The price is already more than $100.

Randy Brecker: Art Blakey, A Night at Birdland Volume 1, Blue Note 5037. They actually show the original 10-inch LP, but I imagine Brecker didn’t just single out the first volume, but the whole series.

Teri Lyne Carrington: Wayne Shorter, JuJu, Blue Note 4182

Branford Marsalis: Wayne Shorter, Speak No Evil, Blue Note 4194.

Nicholas Payton: Speak No Evil

David Sanchez: Speak No Evil

Greg Osby: Wayne Shorter, Schizophrenia, Blue Note 4297

Chris Potter: Wayne Shorter, Adam’s Apple, Blue Note 4232

Kurt Elling: Wayne Shorter, Night Dreamer, Blue Note 4173

Geri Allen: Herbie Hancock, Maiden Voyage, Blue Note 4195

Sean Jones: Herbie Hancock, Maiden Voyage

Terence Blanchard: Herbie Hancock, Speak Like A Child, Blue Note 4297

Uri Craine: Herbie Hancock, The Prisoner, Blue Note 4321

Matt Wilson: Eric Dolphy, Out To Lunch, Blue Note 4163

Dee Dee Bridgewater: Horace Silver, Song For My Father, Blue Note 4185

Dave Douglas: Horace Silver, The Cape Verdean Blues, Blue Note 4220

Bill Charlap: Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers, Blue Note 1518

Christian McBride: Joe Henderson, Mode For Joe, Blue Note 4227

Steve Turre: The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson Volume 2, Blue Note 1506

Kenny Washington: Sonny Clark, Cool Struttin’, Blue Note 1588

Larry Grenadier: Sonny Rollins. A Night at the Village Vanguard, Blue Note 1581

Gary Bartz: Sonny Rollins, Volume 2, Blue Note 1558

Antonio Sanchez: John Coltrane, Blue Trane, Blue Note 1577

Ben Allison: Andrew Hill, Black Fire, Blue Note 4151

Mulgrew Miller: Freddie Hubbard, Ready For Freddie, Blue Note 4085

Robin Eubanks: McCoy Tyner, The Real McCoy, Blue Note 4264

Conrad Herwig: Larry Young, Unity, Blue Note 4221

Patricia Barber: Sheila Jordan, Portrait of Sheila, Blue Note 9002

Jason Moran: Bobby Hutcherson, Dialogue, Blue Note 4198

There were a couple of other they were weird and I didn’t include them. If you’re like me, you probably haven’t even heard of half the musicians that are quoted here. I will tell you my finalists:

Art Blakey Buhaina’s Delight

Art Blakey Blue Note 4003

Freddie Redd, Shades of Redd

Horace Silver, Blowin’ The Blues Away

John Coltrane, Blue Trane

Dexter Gordon, Our Man in Paris

Donald Byrd, A New Perspective

At this point, the very strong lean is toward Buhaina’s Delight, but I might put a few others on the turntable today, since it looks like it’s going to be a nice snow day in New York. But, at least I’ve narrowed the field to My Seven Favorite Blue Notes. For now, at least.

Dexter Gordon, A Swingin’ Affair, Blue Note 4133. This was an original mono pressing with the New York USA labels. This was listed in M- condition for the vinyl and VG++ for the cover. The price was $192.51.

Horace Silver, Cape Verdean Blues, Blue Note 84220. This was an original pressing with the New York USA label. It was listed in pristine M- condition for both the vinyl and the cover. It sold for $45.

Bud Powell, Bud!, Blue Note 1571. This was an original pressing. The vinyl was listed as VG+ and the cover was listed as VG. The price was $127.50.

George Braith, Extension, Blue Note 84171. This was an original stereo pressing with the New York USA labels. The vinyl was VG++ and the cover was VG+. The price was $102.50.

Sam Rivers, Contours, Blue Note 82406. This is an original stereo pressing with the New York USA labels. The vinyl was M- and the cover was VG++. The price was $80.

Bobby Hutcherson, Components, Blue Note 4213. This was an original mono pressing with the New York USA labels. The vinyl and cover were both listed as VG+. The price was $122.50.

Bobby Hutcherson, Happenin’s, Blue Note 4231. This was an original mono pressing with the New York USA labels. The record and cover were both VG+. The price was $147.50.

Bobby Hutcherson, Dialogue, Blue Note 4198. This was an original mono pressing with the New York USA labels. The record and cover were both VG+. The price was $79.99.

Pete LaRoca, Basra, Blue Note 84205. This was an original stereo pressing with the New York USA label. The record was M- and the cove was VG++. The price was $122.50.